USHE Commissioner to Visit SUU

Published: September 09, 2008 |
Category: Administration

The Utah System of Higher Education’s (USHE) new commissioner, William A. Sederburg, will visit Southern Utah University on Wednesday, September 17, as part of a month-long tour of the state’s public universities and colleges.

Joined by members of the state Board of Regents, Sederburg will participate in a comprehensive tour of SUU’s campus, as well as meet with President Michael Benson, SUU trustees and administrators, students, faculty local community and business leaders, and elected officials. According to a USHE press release, “the tours will help the new Commissioner gain a greater understanding of the services the state’s higher education institutions provide to students, their surrounding communities and businesses, and the state’s economy as a whole.”

To this end, Southern Utah University has slated an open reception for the Commissioner and the entire campus and local communities Wednesday at noon in the Great Hall within SUU’s Hunter Conference Center on the northeast end of campus. All those interested in greeting the new Commissioner are welcome to attend.

The informal reception will last from noon to 1 p.m. Guests may come and go as they please.

This reception is just one of several meetings planned for Sederburg’s visit. In addition, the Commissioner will meet with various groups of students, faculty, administrators and staff, as well as with representatives from the Utah Shakespearean Festival and the Utah Summer Games. All of these meetings are by invitation only, though participants have been hand-picked as an accurate cross section of the groups and interests they represent.

According to the USHE release, Commissioner Sederburg hopes these meetings will serve as an “opportunity to gain insight into the many activities occurring at [SUU].” He continues, “I want to make sure that as I try to represent [USHE] institutions in front of lawmakers and other state leaders, that the higher education strategies and policies that we work to formulate support the priorities of our campuses.”

As for President Benson’s hopes for Sederburg’s visit to SUU, he states, “We're excited by the prospect of showcasing the unique niche SUU has within the Utah System of Higher Education to Commissioner Sederburg and his associates. Bill is off to a great start as a Commissioner and I can't think of a better way to orient himself to the roles of each institution than by visiting every campus right out of the gate.”

Benson continues, “We also hope the community will feel welcome to say hello to the Commissioner and members of the Regents at the reception held in their honor on September 17th in the Great Hall.”